Chuck Versus Christmas
by Switters782
Summary: A one-shot about something I would like to have seen follow the events of Santa Claus.


Chuck Versus Christmas

A/N: I don't own "Chuck," or the characters, etc.

Sarah sat, agitated, on the bed in her hotel room, exhausted. She nervously fingered the charm bracelet on her right wrist, trying to decide what to do. After several minutes, she reached for her purse, pulled out her phone, and dialed Chuck's number. As the phone rang, the day's events flashed mind, one detail standing out more than any other: the look on Chuck's face when Sarah told him that Mauser would never bother him again. On the third ring, he picked up.

"Hey, Sarah," he said, his voice devoid of its usual energy.

"Hi, Chuck," she said softly.

"How…how are you?" he asked.

"All things considered, I'm all right," she sighed. "What about you?"

"I'm coping," he said unconvincingly.

"I'm calling because I'd like to ask you a favor," she said tentatively.

"Okay."

"It being Christmas Eve and all, I'd like to go to church."

"Really?" Chuck thought to himself. "You don't strike me as the church-going type."

"I thought you didn't do Christmas," he said.

"I'd like to go to the midnight church service with you, Chuck."

"Midnight?" Chuck said, startled."It's barely nine o'clock now!" he thought. "I might not make it to midnight!"

"Please."

Chuck heaved a sigh of resignation. "I'll put some coffee on. Would you like to come over?"  
"I'd like that very much. I'll see you shortly."

"Actually, Sarah," Chuck said suddenly.

"Yes?" she asked tentatively, hoping he hadn't changed mind.

"Can you give me time to shower first? I feel like I could use one if we're going out in public."

"All right. I'll freshen up as well. Would it be all right if I stopped over at 10:30?" she asked cautiously. "I'd like to wish your sister and Devon a Merry Christmas, and I would rather not just come and go too quickly, what with how nice they've been to me."

"Sure that's fine. I'll put coffee on," Chuck said, watching his hopes of passing out and pretending the whole fiasco never happened shatter irreparably. He put on a bathrobe and headed for the shower.

Awesome and Ellie were on the couch, watching Rudolph.

"Hey, bro," Awesome said, "you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm pulling myself together," Chuck said, hoping by saying it, it would become so. "Sarah asked me to go to church with her at midnight, so I'm going to shower. She's gonna swing by at 10:30. She wanted to wish you guys a merry Christmas. I'm going to put on coffee. I figured it'd be all right."

"Sarah's always welcome here, Chuck," Ellie said. "you know that. It's very nice of her to think of us."

Chuck headed for the shower which, surprisingly, felt extremely refreshing. As he picked out a pair of dress pants, a solid blue shirt and matching tie, he tried to remember the last time he went to church, let alone at midnight. It had to have been before his mother passed away. He put his shoes on and headed downstairs to make coffee.

It wasn't long before there was a knock on the door.

"I've got it," Devon said, opening the door for Sarah as Chuck laid out coffee mugs for the three of them, along with cream and sugar.

"You're just in time," Chuck said on sighting Sarah, with as much of a smile as he could muster, "coffee's ready."

"Here, let me help you with your coat," Devon said. Sarah obliged.

"Sarah that dress looks lovely on you!" Ellie gushed. It was a simple, green dress, but it brought out her emerald eyes.

"Thank you," Sarah said, and smiled as she was handed a cup of coffee by Chuck.

"Sit down, take a load off," Ellie said, "it's been a long day!"

"That it has," Sarah said, taking a seat on the couch next to Chuck. She took a long sip of coffee and sighed.

"So what are your plans for tonight?"

"Well, I asked Chuck to attend church with me."

"Are you very religious?"

"To tell the truth, no," Sarah said, setting her coffee down. "My mother was. While she was alive we hardly ever missed a service. I haven't been as devout since, but I have a lot to be thankful for, not just today, but especially today. Which reminds me…"

Reaching for her purse, she unzipped it and pulled out and envelope.

"It's kind of last minute, but I wanted to give you something as a token of my gratitude. Devon, Ellie, you've always been so kind to me. You've welcomed me into your family, and I can't begin to express how grateful I am for that."

"Sarah, you shouldn't have," said Ellie.

"Well, what is it?" Chuck asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Awesome!" said Devon, handing the card to Ellie. "It's a year of gourmet coffees from around the world! Thank you, Sarah."

"I know how you guys like your coffee."

"Oh, Sarah," Ellie gushed as she stood up to hug her, "Thank you!"

Chuck found it hard not to smile at the scene. "Perhaps," he thought, "if I can just push away his feelings of guilt, I can enjoy the evening that Sarah planned for him. He decided to save the guilt and the pain for after Christmas, for Ellie's sake, and Awesome's, and Sarah's.

After the pot of coffee had been finished off, Chuck and Sarah bundled up for the cold.

"Chuck's going to spend the night at my place," Sarah said, wrapping her scarf around her neck, "so don't wait up or anything. We'll see you tomorrow for breakfast!"

"Sounds awesome, guys," said Awesome, "and thanks again, Sarah. That was really thoughtful of you."

"Just think of me or something every time you have coffee from now on, or something. We'll be more than even," Sarah said, smiling.

With the cold rush of air came Chuck's fresh pangs of guilt. As he got into the passenger seat of Sarah's Porsche, the lives of everyone he loved and cared about were put in danger today because of him. Sarah killed a man, to protect _him._ He was about to say something when he suddenly thought better of it. He saw how she beamed when she gave Ellie and Devon that coffee, when she thanked them for welcoming her into the family. Knowing how cruel he would have to be to ruin her Christmas now, he resigned himself to bear his guilt and pain in silence. Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed when Sarah pulled into the parking lot outside the United Methodist Church of Los Angeles. Out of the car, she took him by the hand and led him inside.

It was weird, being in a church for the first time, for both of them. They found their way silently to a pew and sat down. The organist was quietly playing Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." They sat in silence, her hand in his, throughout most the service. Being there brought back many of Chuck's favorite things about Christmas from his childhood. He loved the joy that people shared, how people's faces lit up. He listened as the Gospels according to Matthew and John were read, and the story of the birth of a boy who would one day give his life for his salvation, and Sarah's, and Morgan's and Ellie's and Devon's, and all who followed him.

Their palms were sweaty but inseparable as the last verse of the last hymn was sung. They filed out with the rest of the congregation, greeting the minister and wishing her a Merry Christmas.

They made their way back to Sarah's apartment in a much warmer silence than earlier. Chuck helped her with her coat and hung it up in her closet as she walked over to her dresser, where there lay a small box tied with a gold bow. She picked it up and handed it to Chuck.

"This is for you, Chuck," she said.

"You shouldn't have," he said, pulling the bow loose and opening the box. Inside was beautifully rendered china dove.

Chuck stood and stared, first at the dove, then at Sarah.

"It was my mother's," she said, wrapping her arm around his waist. "I have its 'mate.' It's a"

"Turtle Dove," he finished, pulling her close to him

"Yes," she said. "…known for being fiercely loyal," she said, resting her head against his chest.

"…and an unfathomable ability to always find its way home."

"…to the one it loves," she said, feeling her heart beat with his.


End file.
